Are we there yet?

So it turns out that you don't learn everything after one successful batch...
I pitched yeast on my second batch, Dragon's Blood, about 36 hours ago. 71B-1122 to be specific activated per instructions and stirred into the must. And no fermentation yet. Temperature is 74, plenty sugar, open fermentation, stirred twice, and not a single fermentation bubble.
Now it could be that the yeast is dead or (more likely) that I'm just impatient. What's the longest you have waited for the fermentation to start?

I quit activating yeast. Seems I get the water too hot and kill it. I just dump and go. It seems to work better

I am also new to wine making, and both times that I've made a batch I've never activated the yeast, just dumped it straight in. Honestly even the kits that Ive bought say just dump it in, some even say don't stir yeast in, which i thought was dumb but still worked! as far as activity witnessed after starting, I've waited as long as 72 hours before seeing any activity(which was from the do not stir yeast instruction kit) but i also had one batch that had so much activity right over 24 hours it over flowed my air lock a sprayed over my kitchen. The space of your bucket/glass carboy really determines how much activity you'd see when using an air lock. when open fermenting, the extra oxygen will also decrease the visual amount of activity. I think 36 hours is a bit short, let it get to 48, if 72 come rolling around and still nothing then you may have killed off the yeast some how, which could have happen from heating the yeast to much when activating, you can use a hydrometer to check the Sp Gr. see if any actions happen if not read up on what you do next, I usually use EC-118 yeast and works like a charm without activating it.

Granted Im no expert, just putting in my two cents!

I do have a few questions tho, what are you using as your primary Fermenting carboy (aka 1 gallon glass carboy, 1.5-6gal food grade bucket? Also how big is the batch you are working with?

Jswo23 said:

I do have a few questions tho, what are you using as your primary Fermenting carboy (aka 1 gallon glass carboy, 1.5-6gal food grade bucket? Also how big is the batch you are working with?

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I'm making Dragon's Blood precisely per recipe, so a 6 gallon batch. See http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41825. Well, almost per recipe, which means everything so far is the same except for the yeast. EC-1118 is aggressive yeast for hard fermentation, so I chose a more appropriate yeast for fruit blushes. I tend to agree that yeast is not likely to be dead, the water was not all that hot, but it could be that it wasn't appropriately activated. Which means it's just a matter of time before it starts fermenting - I'm just impatient.
Speaking of the container, that's another lesson in itself. I'm using Big Mouth Bubbler that Midwest Supply sells with the kit. Otherwise perfectly fine primary, it is not exactly appropriate for this recipe. First its a 7 gallon container so the whole thing a bit too snuuuuuug. Second, a more annoyingly, the aforementioned mouth opening is not large enough to easily place and remove the bad with the fruit. I should have bought a simple 7.9 gallon bucket and be done with it - I'm not cheap, I'm just stupid.

Just my .02$ but I always start my yeast. Get a good digital kitchen thermometer. I blend hot and cold water in a Pyrex pitcher to >105F. Add starting nutrient and let it cool. Once it is at 104F pitch the yeast, I stir very gently with a ss table fork to break up the clumps. I put 3-4 inches of hot, ~105F water in my sink, then set the pitcher in it. This keeps it from cooling too fast. Both the sink and yeast cocktail cool nicely for 10-15 minutes this way. I can see if it is working nicely like a sourdough starter. After 10-15 minutes I add some must. The closer the temps are, the more I add. My goal is 50% must before it goes into the fermenter. I keep adding must in small doses until the starter temp is within 10-15 degrees of the must. Yes it can take a while, particularly if I'm doing a cold white ferment. But, there is always something to do for 30-60 minutes. I'm just a bit obsessive about it, but a happy yeast doesn't make stinky wine. Never has failed in 8 years and now 16ferments a year.

milant said:

I'm making Dragon's Blood precisely per recipe, so a 6 gallon batch. See http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41825. Well, almost per recipe, which means everything so far is the same except for the yeast. EC-1118 is aggressive yeast for hard fermentation, so I chose a more appropriate yeast for fruit blushes. I tend to agree that yeast is not likely to be dead, the water was not all that hot, but it could be that it wasn't appropriately activated. Which means it's just a matter of time before it starts fermenting - I'm just impatient.
Speaking of the container, that's another lesson in itself. I'm using Big Mouth Bubbler that Midwest Supply sells with the kit. Otherwise perfectly fine primary, it is not exactly appropriate for this recipe. First its a 7 gallon container so the whole thing a bit too snuuuuuug. Second, a more annoyingly, the aforementioned mouth opening is not large enough to easily place and remove the bad with the fruit. I should have bought a simple 7.9 gallon bucket and be done with it - I'm not cheap, I'm just stupid.

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Yes you're right Ec-118 is very aggressive, i've only used for practice batches using Welch's grape juice concentrate because i was told if i provide enough sugar i could get the alcohol content up to 18-20% turns out to be a nice hobo wine. I've used the yeast provided in my kits for everything else. they also dont require you to activate the yeast. Honestly i think that particular winemakers prefer a certain way. when really people are successful either way. You clearly know more way more than i, good luck!

I am guessing you are just being impatient.

But to be sure whether you are fermenting or not, follow your hydrometer. Yes, you will see bubbles along the way, but it is only a guess as to what is happening.

I hydrate my yeast most of the time, but once in awhile, if I happen to do a kit, I may just dump it in.

I have made kits for years and always follow the instructions. Pitching the yeast on top and airlocking are the usual instructions. It (almost) always works. When it doesn't, my LWS always helps with another yeast or advice on fixing the problem. If it doesn't work, they replace the kit. It's only happened twice in 7 years and about 75 kits, but they can't say that I screwed it up by not following instructions.

Now that I'm making fruit wines from scratch I make a starter and it seems to work fine also.

Be patient and I'm sure you'll be seeing some action in there by morning. Good luck!

Isn't Dragon's Blood a variant on Skeeter Pee? In which case, the must is very acidic. That may mean that a significant number of yeast cells will not survive their re-activation, so the yeast colony you are starting with may be far smaller than you expect. But all yeast need and use "lag time" to determine what chemicals they need to produce in order to absorb the sugars and so produce the alcohol. They can do this either with or without O2 but if there is insufficient oxygen in the must then their production of various enzymes and proteins (I think) they need to transport the sugars through their cell walls can take significantly longer. If the yeast are activated in one solution and then transferred to another with different sugar content, different acidity, different nutrients I am not sure how quickly they can adapt, but adapt they must... As drainsurgeon suggests, I would hold on another day and check the gravity if there is no observable activity (froth and the like).